Strip coiling machine



March 4, 1941.

R. J. MILLER. ETAL STRIP COILING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet 1 gwwmws RALPH :r. MILLER RUSSELL T. TODD March 4, 1941. R.J. MILLER ETAL STRIP COILING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l5,v1939 grave/whom RALPH I MILLER RUSSELL T. TODD March 4, 1941. R. J.MILLER ETAL STRIP COILING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1939 3' Sheets-Sheet 3JrvuQ/IVbOf/S RALPH J. MILLER RUSSELL T. TODD Gum/nan able Patented Mar.4, 1941 UNITED s'rA'rss PATENT orrici-z Ohio, assignors Youngstown,

to McKay Machine Company, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June13, 1939, Serial No. 278,856

Claims- .speed of operation is desired and the coiling machine at'theend of the assembly must therefore 5 be capable of coiling the stripstock rapidly.

' Heretofore, inmachines'for the purpose stated,

considerable difflculty has been encountered in satisfactorily guidingthe rapidly-moving stock as it assumes the coil form. To provide asatis- 29 factory coll which may be expeditiously handled by machines insubsequent processes, the side edges of the strip constituting the coilmust be reasonably aligned and this requires considerable 28 pressure onone or the other of the side edges of the strip depending on thedirection of movement taken by the particular strip increment. Thearrangements heretofore used to. guide the side edges of the strip intoproper alignment caused considerable damage to the side edges by sotearing and bending and the guide surfaces themselves, being subjectedto excessive wear by action or the strip, required frequent replacement.Therefore, the primary object of the invention as is the provision ofmetal strip guiding means for use in conjunction will enable an accurateedges of the strip of the coil to be maintained without injury to theside edge of the strip, and without excessive wear of the guidingsurfaces employed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement forthe purposes stated which iseconomical to construct, rugged and dependinservice, and which does not require any substantial changes in thedesignof acceptable machines well suited for the purpose of coiling strip.

A further so a strip guiding device These and the invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following. detailed specificationand'the accompanying -win s wherein there is u specifically disclosed apreferred embodiment of alignment of the side object of the invention isto provide improved. design.

with a strip coiler which other objects "and advantages of the inventionas applied to a strip coiling machine of the pyramid bender type.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a strip coiling machineembodying the principles and teachings of the invention; Figure 2 is across-sectional view'of the machine of Figure 1, the section being takenalongthe line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-: of e1; and Figure 4 is a plan view. partly in section, on a. portion of themachine of Figure 1. Y The machine illustrating the invention consistsessentially of a. trio of bending rolls it, a pair of coil supportingcradle rolls It, and a siidins v assembly including a pair of rot sideguidw i2 and an abutment it which engages the coil to eject the sameupon completion of thecoiling operation. A pair of pinch rolls it areprovided to engage and feed the strip through the bending I rolls andthe lower roll of .this pair, together with the two lower bending rolls,are journaled in suitable vertically movable chocks i5 and G6,respectively, for the purpose of varying the pressure exerted by thepinch rolls M and the radius of bending by the bending rolls iii. Cradlerolls I I, upper pinch and bending rolls and the checks mentioned aresuitably supported in the parallel housings it which in turn are securedto and supported by a base assembly it. The rolls thus provided aredriven by a suitable motor 20, also mounted on the base It, throughsuitable gearing (not shown) housed within gear case 2!. Flexiblecouplings 22 connect the gear. drive with the various rolls mentioned,thereby nabling the lower of the pinch rolls and the two lower bend--ing rolls to be'adjusted vertically at will.

Chocks it are vertically guided in the housings l8 and are supported byscrews 24 which extend downwardly into bores provided in the housings.Worm wheels'23 internally threaded to receive screws 24 and driven byworms 25 are rovided to raise and lower chocks 18. The worms 25 arecarried on a shaft 26 which is driven by 45 hand wheel 2'! through chain28. A similar arrangement including a shaft 29 is provided to.

raise and lower chock l5. Slidably mounted on the housings llin suitableguides (not shown) is the transverse member 30 having an arcuatelyshaped abutment i3 and a transversely extending barll provided withlaterally extending flanges 32 for a purpose to be later descrl Member30 is moved longitudinally. along the ousings It by cylinder supportedby a strut 36 spanning the upper ends of extensions 38 of the housingsI8. Guide pins 40 are secured tomember 30 and pass through bushedapertures and strut 36 to aid in guiding member 30 along the path oftravel. A pair of closed guide carriers 4| are slidably mounted on thebar 3| and extend out over the rolls mentioned and rotatably supportadjacent their free ends the rotary guides I2. As shown in Figures 2'and 3, members 4| are provided with recesses 42 into which the flanges32 of the bar 3| are received to provide means to guide and maintain thealignment of guide carriers '4l'. The latter are adapted ,to be movedalong the bar 3| by the screws 44 which are journaled attheir inner endsin the bearing block 45 supported on bar 3| and at their outerends inthe reduction gear .casings 46. Screws 44 are rotated by the motors 41through suitable reduction gearing housed within the casings 46' andsince screw threaded connections are provided between screws 40 andcarriers 4| rotation of the screws resultsdn sliding movement of thecarriers toward or away from each other to accommodate strips and coilsof different widths.

. coiling machine.

Referring now to Figure 4, the improved strip uiding means of theinvention consists of a pair ofdisk-like rotary guide members l2 eachhaving a conically shaped outer surface 50. Each of the guides I2 iscarried by a spindle 52 which is journaled in antifriction bearings 53.

carried by the housing 54 suitably secured to carrier 4|. The axes ofthe spindles 52 and consequently the axes of rotation of the rotaryguides carried thereby are angularly disposed in relation to theparallel axes of the rolls and a line connecting the high center pointsof the surfaces to provide, in effect, movable guiding incrementalsurfaces which move toward each other as they approach a horizontalplane extending to one side of the line connecting the two center highpoints of the conical surfaces 50. Theoretically, therefore, a coil orother ob- -ject having plane parallel side surfaces positioned betweenthe, surfaces 50 and contacting the latter surfaces will contact suchsurfaces only along two spaced parallel. lines which are indicated onFigure 4 by the latter P. This arrangement is. accomplished by rotatingthe axis of rotation of the rotary members l2 about verticallines-andthrough the angles indicated at Q. In the figure the line C- C' connectsthe center high points of the surfaces 50 and is parallel with theaxes-of the various rolls of the Line D-D' represents the axis ofrotation of one, of the rotary'guides.

In operation, strip material is fed into the machine through the pinchrolls l4 and by means of suitableguides 55 is guided through thebendrolls III. A small idling roll 55 in contact with one of-the cradlerolls H is provided to guide the bent material away from such cradleroll in the manner shown. The material moves upwardly and backwardlyand. as its leading end approaches the theoretical plane bounded by thelines CC. andP it will engage the surfaces 50 if it has not already doneso causing such surfaces to freely revolve about with the side edges ofthe --material. Due to the converging action of the surfaces '50 theside edges of th material will be progressively slowly brought intoproper alignment reaching its final stage when the lines P Rare reached.Because of the progressive nature of the aligning process an to movesaid member.

the bent stock from engaging adjacent roll II V which by reason of thefact that it rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2,would present a surface moving in the opposite direction to that of thestock thereby resulting in excessive wear and damage to the surface ofthe stock. As the coil is formed between the'guides l2 it rests on thecradle rolls II and the center supporting plate 58 and upon completionof the coiling operation of the particular length of strip, cylinder '35is actuated thereby sliding abutment l3 along housings l8 and moving theformed sofl to the end of the housing where it will fall from betweenthe guides I2.

The above specifically. described embodiment of the invention should beconsidered as illustrative only as obviously many changes may be madetherein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for coiling metal strip, the combination of a base, apair of spaced housings mounted on said base, strip bending rollsspanning and journaled in said housings, a pair of spaced parallelcradle rolls positioned above said bending rolls and spanning andjournaled in said housings, a frame member spanning said housings andadapted to move longitudinally therealong and normal to the axes ofrotation of said rolls, a pair of spaced supports adjustably carried bysaid member in preselected spaced relation, a guide comprising a diskhaving a conically-shaped inner surface freely rotatably carried-by theinner side of each of said supports, the relation of the parts beingsuch that when said member is in its normal retracted position a lineconnecting the center high points of said surfaces will be parallelwith, substantially midway of and above the axes of said cradle rolls,the axes of rotation of said guides being angularly related to saidline, means to rotate said .rolls, and means 2.. In a machine forcoiling metal strip, the combination of a base, strip bending rollsrotatably supported on said base, a pair of spaced parallel cradle rollspositioned above said bending rolls, strip guiding means carried by saidbase compris- .a pair of opposed freely rotatable disks each having aconically-shaped inner surface, said disks being so mounted that duringthe normal coiling operation of the machine, a line connecting thecenter high points of said surfaces will be parallel with, substantiallymidway of, and above the axes of said cradle rolls, the axes of rotationof said,

disks being angularly related to said line,- and means ,to rotate saidrolls.

. 3. In a machine. for coiling metal strip, the

combination of a base, continuous strip bending means supported on saidbase,-=a pairof spaced 1 parallel cradle rolls for the rotatable'supportof the coil being formed supported on said base, a

pair of spaced guiding disks rotatably supp rted for free rotation-abovesaid, cradle rolls, said disks having conically-shaped opposing surfacesand combination of a base, continuous strip bending means supported onsaid base, a pair of spaced parallel cradle rolls for the rotatablesupport of necting the center high points of said surfaces will the coilbeing formed supported on said base, a pair of spaced guiding diskssupported for free rotation above said cradle rolls, said disks havingsonically-shaped opposing surfaces and being so mounted that a lineconnecting the center high points of said surfaces will normally besubstantiallyparallelwith, midway of, and above the axes of rotationofsaid cradle rolls, the axes of rotation of said disks being angularlyrelated to said line whereby a plane including said line will intersectsaid surfaces along two spaced and substantially parallel-lines. n

5. In a machine for coiling metal strip, the combination of a base,continuous strip bending means supported on said base, means on saidbase to rotatably support the coil being formed, and means to engage andguide the side edges of the strip as it mova into the coil comprising arotatable disk. positioned on either side oi. said coil supportingmeans, each of said disks being mounted for tree rotation having 'aconicallyshaped inner surface, saiddisks being mounted in such mannerthat a plane including a line conintersect said surfaces along twospaced substantlally parallel lines. 6. A guiding assembly for a metalstrip coiling lflmachinea'pair oi spaceddiskseach havingaconically-shapeddnner surface, said pleted coil from its support.

disks being mounted for free rotation in such manner that a planeincluding the line connecting the center high points of said surfaceswill intersect'said surfaces along two spaced substantially parallellines. v

'7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further including means to move saiddisks along said first mentioned line. a

i 8. Apparatus according to claim 6 further including a support belowthe space between said disks for the coil being formed, and meansto movesaid disks in a horizontal direction relative to said support.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 further including a support below thespace between said disks for thecoil being formed, means to move saiddisks individually along said last mentioned line,

and means to move said disks together in a horizontal direction relativeto said support.- a

10. In a machine for coiling metal strip, the combination of abase,means supported on said base to impart a continuous bend to stripcontinuously fed into said machine, means to support the coils formed bythe bending means, a movable frame member having a coil engagingabutment and a pair of spaced supporting elements mounted on said base,a freely rotatable guide carried by each of said supporting elements,said guides being positioned on either side of said coil support andbeing provided with conically shaped inner faces, the axis of rotationof said guides being angularly arranged whereby a plane including a lineinterconnecting the high points of the inner surfaces of said guideswill intersect said inner surfaces along spaced parallel lines, means tomove said guides toward and away from each other, and means to move saidmember in a direction normal to said line to move the com- RALPH J.MILLER. acsssu. r. Tom).

